


Physician, Heal Thyself

by donutsweeper



Series: Pashahads verse [2]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-05
Updated: 2012-05-05
Packaged: 2017-11-04 20:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/398080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutsweeper/pseuds/donutsweeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Harkness tries to help Carson Beckett through the aftermath of a rough day</p>
            </blockquote>





	Physician, Heal Thyself

Carson Beckett stood on the balcony, lost in thought.

“Penny for your thoughts,” called a voice from the doorway.

“Ah, Captain, ‘fraid they’re not worth that much.” Carson turned, leaning tiredly against the railing. 

Jack Harkness walked out to join him. “Brought you some coffee.” He handed it over, then leaned on the railing next to Carson, looking out at the ocean. After a few moments of silence Jack finally spoke up, “Rough day.” 

“Aye, that it was.” Carson sipped the coffee slowly. He sighed deeply. “Lost too many good people today.”

Jack didn’t comment on the self-recrimination in the doctor’s voice. “Wasn’t anything you could have done about it.”

Carson ran a tired hand through his hair and took another sip of coffee. “Wraith.” It came out like a curse.

“Yes. And you know there was nothing you could have done.” 

Carson merely shook his head in response. “You don’t understand, if I’d...”

“If you’d been at the village you would have died too, and so would your medical team and however many soldiers Sheppard sent along with you.” Medical assistance had been part of the trading negotiations; Cason was scheduled to bring supplies to the clinic he’d set up in the village that morning, but due to a malfunction with the stargate they’d been delayed for nearly an entire day. Long enough for a Wraith culling. By the time Carson and his people had gotten there everything- the clinic, even the village itself- had been destroyed. “I can hear your gears turning.”

“Sorry?”

Jack turned. “Up there,” he said, pointing to Carson’s head. “All those gears and cogs turning and whirring about with a thousand unanswerable questions like ‘what if this’ and ‘why that.’ There will always be war, with enemies of all shapes and sizes, and innocent people will always be caught in the crossfire. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the way life is. You’re a doctor, and a good one at that. You’ve saved a lot of lives, probably nearly everyone on this base, but you can’t save everyone. It’s just not possible. There was nothing you could have done about the people in the village.” Jack took the empty coffee mug out of Carson’s hands. “Now, it’s my understanding that there is supposed to be blue jello in the mess hall tonight. How about we go see if the rumor mill got it right this time?” 

Carson gave a small smile and let Jack lead him off the cold balcony and back into the warmth of Atlantis. After a few minutes he finally spoke up, “So... blue jello?”

“Yep, and that’s the best kind of jello there is!”


End file.
